Barbacoa Brisket

Serves 6

For Dry Brining

½ cup sugar

½ cup kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper (see Trejo’s Tip)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 to 5 pounds beef brisket

For Browning and Braising

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 14½-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices

2 chipotle chiles from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped

2 dried bay leaves

¼ cup molasses

Dry-Brine the Brisket In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, garlic, pepper, and cumin and mix well.

Season the beef on both sides with the spice mixture. Wrap the beef in plastic wrap and place it in a large bowl or pan. Refrigerate for 48 hours.

Brown and Braise the Brisket Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place the brisket on your work surface, unwrap it, and wipe off the excess brining mixture. Heat a large heavy skillet (cast iron works well) over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Then add the oil and heat just until it begins to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add the meat to the hot skillet and cook until it is browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes, checking at 4 minutes to catch the brisket before the sugar in the rub begins to burn. Turn the brisket over and brown the other side for 5 to 7 minutes, checking at 4 minutes to prevent burning.

Transfer the meat to a deep roasting pan or Dutch oven, leaving the skillet on medium-high heat. Set the roasting pan aside.

Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to the drippings in the skillet and stir until they are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and boil until it’s almost evaporated, scraping the skillet with a wooden spoon to get all the bits off the bottom. Crush the whole tomatoes through your fingers, letting them fall into the skillet. Add the tomato juice from the can and the chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Stir in 1½ cups of water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, put it in the oven, and cook until the brisket is fork-tender, about 8 hours.

For Tacos/Burritos/Bowls Transfer the brisket from the roasting pan to a bowl. Set the roasting pan over medium heat and cook the juices in the pan until they are reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the brisket and use two forks to pull it apart and shred the meat. Then make the tacos, burritos, or bowls as instructed in the recipes on this page, this page and this page.

For carved brisket If you are going to carve the brisket to serve it as an entrée, transfer it to a cutting board. Set the roasting pan over medium heat and cook the juices in the pan until they are reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce into a small bowl or gravy dish. Using a very sharp knife, cut the brisket crosswise and against the grain into ¾-inch-thick slices. Serve with the sauce on the side.

12 6-inch corn tortillas

3 cups shredded Barbacoa Brisket (this page)

1½ cups Pico de Gallo (this page)

2 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese

½ cup fried tortilla strips (recipe follows)

2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Stack the tortillas, wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in the oven, and let them warm until they’re fragrant and pliable, about 15 minutes.

Remove the tortillas from the oven. Unwrap the stack and line up the tortillas, assembly-line-style, on your work surface.

Spoon about ¼ cup of the brisket in a straight line down the center of each tortilla. Spoon a line of Pico de Gallo to the right of the brisket. Sprinkle the Cotija over the brisket and the pico, and sprinkle with the tortilla strips. Serve each taco with a lime wedge on the side.

4 13-inch flour tortillas

1 cup Basic Black Beans (this page), warmed

2 cups shredded Barbacoa Brisket (this page)

1 cup Pico de Gallo (this page), drained

½ small red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place a tortilla in a large skillet set over medium heat, warming it until it is heated through and lightly browned in spots, about 1 minute. Turn the tortilla over and warm it on the second side, 1 minute more. Transfer the tortilla to a plate and cover it with a kitchen towel to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Lay the tortillas out on your work surface. Spoon ¼ cup of the beans in a straight line across the middle of each tortilla. Place ½ cup of the brisket in a line on top of the beans. Line the Pico de Gallo to the right of the beans. Sprinkle the onion and cilantro over the top. Fold the left and right sides of each tortilla in by 1 inch. Grab the bottom of the tortilla and roll it away from you, ensuring that the sides are tucked in.

2 cups Spanish Rice (this page), warmed

2 cups Basic Black Beans (this page), warmed

2 cups grilled corn (see this page)

1 cup Pico de Gallo (this page)

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

2 cups shredded Barbacoa Brisket (this page)

½ small red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup fried tortilla strips (see this page)

¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

In each individual serving bowl, arrange evenly divided portions of the rice, beans, corn, Pico de Gallo, lettuce, and brisket in a clockwise pattern. Garnish with the onion, cilantro, tortilla strips, and Cotija. Serve each bowl with a lime wedge on the side.